MEDICAL DICTIONARY
PCO disease: PCO stands for PolyCystic Ovarian. PCO disease is an hormonal problem that causes women various symptoms including: - Irregular or no periods
- Acne
- Obesity, and
- Excess hair growth.
All women with PCO have irregular or no menses. Women with PCO do not ovulate (do not release an egg every month).
Women with PCO are at a higher risk for high blood pressure , diabetes, heart disease, and uterine (endometrial) cancer. Much of this risk can be reversed by exercise and weight loss. It is also important for women with PCO to have regular periods -- if a woman does not have regular periods, her risk of endometrial cancer rises -- so medication is prescribed to induce regular periods.
For acne or excess hair growth, a water pill (diuretic) called spironolactone can help. For PCO women who desire pregnancy, a medication called clomiphene (CLOMID) can be used to induce ovulation (cause egg production).
A type of surgery called a "wedge resection," in which a piece of the ovary is removed, seems to help some women.
No one is sure what causes PCO. However, the ovaries of women with PCO contain a number of small cysts. Hence, the name poly (many) cystic ovarian disease. The name "Stein-Leventhal" is after the late American gynecologists Irving F. Stein, Sr. and Michael Leo Leventhal.
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